81R4466 MG-D
By: Pierson H.R. No. 147
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, An unlikely pair of friends, Ron Hall and Denver
Moore have come together to serve the homeless community in Fort
Worth and to raise awareness about this complex issue across the
country; and
WHEREAS, Denver Moore was born in 1937 in Louisiana; during
his youth, he resided with his aunt and uncle, who were
sharecroppers on a plantation in Red River Parish; he later escaped
the confines of the plantation on a freight train and spent the next
few years as a homeless drifter; in 1966, he was sentenced to 10
years at Angola Prison in Louisiana, and after his release, Mr.
Moore boarded another freight train bound for Texas; he was once
again homeless, and he lived on the streets of Fort Worth for the
next 22 years; and
WHEREAS, Ron Hall was born in Blooming Grove in 1945 and was
raised in the Haltom City area; a graduate of TCU, he joined the
U.S. Army and also earned a master's degree in business; he married
his college sweetheart, the former Deborah Short, and later became
an international art dealer; at his wife's urging, Mr. Hall began
serving weekly meals alongside her at Union Gospel Mission in Fort
Worth, where they met Mr. Moore in 1998; and
WHEREAS, Since their initial meeting, Mr. Hall and Mr. Moore
have nurtured a close and enduring friendship; they wrote about
their experiences in Same Kind of Different As Me, a memoir they
coauthored; in the book, they discuss how they relied on one another
during Mrs. Hall's battle with cancer and how they were inspired by
her compassion for others; after Mrs. Hall's death, Mr. Moore
pledged to continue the work that she had done for the homeless, and
he has delivered on this promise; having turned his life around, he
now speaks to audiences around the country and volunteers his
services at Union Gospel Mission; in 2006, he was presented with the
Philanthropist of the Year award by the citizens of Fort Worth; and
WHEREAS, Together, Mr. Moore and Mr. Hall are giving the
often overlooked members of the homeless community a powerful voice
and touching the lives and hearts of countless individuals; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby commend Ron Hall and Denver Moore for their
efforts in behalf of the homeless in Fort Worth and across the
country and extend to them best wishes for continued success with
their important work; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared
for Ron Hall and Denver Moore as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.